Practical Driving Test

This page contains basic information on the outline of your practical test and prices.
Steve will go over all of this in lessons, as well as giving you a 'mock test' so that you're fully prepared and know what to expect when taking the test.

‘tell me’ question at the start of your test, before you start driving
‘show me’ question while you’re driving

Your general driving ability

You’ll drive in various road and traffic conditions, but not on motorways.

The examiner will give you directions that you should follow. Driving test routes aren’t published, so you can’t check them before your test.
Pulling over at the side of the road

You’ll be asked to pull over and pull away during your test, including:

normal stops at the side of the road
pulling out from behind a parked vehicle
a hill start

You might also be asked to carry out an emergency stop.
Reversing your vehicle

The examiner will ask you to do one of the following exercises:

parallel park at the side of the road
park in a parking bay - either by driving in and reversing out, or reversing in and driving out (the examiner will tell you which you have to do)
pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for around 2 car lengths, and rejoin the traffic

Independent driving

You’ll have to drive for about 20 minutes by following either:

directions from a sat nav
traffic signs

The examiner will tell you which you have to follow.

They’ll set the sat nav up for you. You can’t use your own sat nav.

If you can’t see traffic signs

If you can’t see a traffic sign (for example, because it’s covered by trees), the examiner will give you directions until you can see the next one.

Going off the route

The examiner won’t give you a fault for taking a wrong turning.

They’ll help you get back on the route if you do.

If you make mistakes during your test

You can carry on if you make a mistake. It might not affect your test result if it’s not serious.

The examiner will only stop your test if they think your driving is a danger to other road users.

THE 10 MOST COMMON REASONS FOR FAILING ARE:

- Observation at Junctions: Ineffective observation and judgment
- Reverse Parallel Parking: Ineffective observation or lack of accuracy
- Use of Mirrors: Not checking or not acting on what is seen
- Reversing Around a Corner: Ineffective observation or lack of accuracy
- Incorrect Use of Signals: Not cancelling or giving misleading signals
- Moving Away Safely: Ineffective observation
- Incorrect Positioning: At roundabouts or bends
- Lack of Steering Control: Steering too early or too late
- Incorrect Positioning: When turning right at junctions and in one-way street
- Inappropriate Speed: Going too slow or being hesitant